


Valentine's Day

by Thorinsfurcoat



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Tattoist!Thorin, Truck driver!Dwalin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-12 23:30:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1204552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorinsfurcoat/pseuds/Thorinsfurcoat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thorin and Dwalin's date on Valentine's day can only be anything but romantic, or can it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentine's Day

**Author's Note:**

> Just a silly thing I wanted to write for Valentine's day, even if it is a bit late now. First attempt on writing moder AU, may become a series because this was way too much fun to write. Enjoy!

Bilbo wasn’t sure what exactly he had been expecting to see, many different thoughts flashing through his mind as the door opened, however the sight of the tall, muscular and slightly scary looking man at the door was surely not one of them.

“Good morning” the shorter man greeted politely, instinctively taking a step back at the other man’s deepening scowl. Surely this must be the wrong house?

“Morning, brother” he heard Balin call cheerfully behind him, and the realization that this was indeed the right house and that he was standing in front of Balin’s brother did nothing to appease his fast growing feeling of uneasiness. 

The taller man replied with a short grunt and stepped aside to let them in and Balin motioned for him to step inside the house while he happily chatted away about the weather. His younger brother’s face seemed to be stuck in that eternal sulking expression and Bilbo briefly wondered whether they had arrived at the wrong moment or if this was simply Balin’s brother’s usual expression when greeting visitors.

“This is Bilbo Baggins” he heard Balin suddenly say and he was instantly snapped out of his thoughts back to the reality of the rather awkward scene. “Bilbo, this is my brother Dwalin.”  
Bilbo managed to force a small smile and a nod while Dwalin simply emitted a low grunt again. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to let Balin convince him to leave his cozy little home to pay a visit to his lunatic younger brother and his weird depressive boyfriend. Judging by his first impression of Dwalin he was almost afraid to now meet said boyfriend.

“Not meaning to sound rude, but I was hoping to spend the day with Thorin” Dwalin said, his scowl deepening a bit more if that was even possible.

“Of course, I figured that much, but we will not be staying too long.”  
Bilbo had to fight hard not to let out a loud sigh of relief at that statement.

“Is Thorin out again?” Balin asked, his ever gentle, friendly attitude not one bit darkened by what seemed to be his brother’s normal behavior.

“He’s resting up there” Dwalin replied, briefly motioning toward the stairs leading to where Bilbo supposed the bedrooms were. “He’s been up all night again playing harp.”

“ Nightmares again” Balin said with a soft sigh, a brief thoughtful nod making it clear that this was more a statement than a real question.

“I will go check on him, see if he is awake yet. Make yourselves comfortable” the gruff man said, motioning to the living room as he slowly walked to the stairs. Bilbo followed Balin in the surprisingly large living room and carefully sat down on a fur covered couch while Balin went to retrieve a bottle and a couple of glasses from a nearby cupboard. 

“Is that Thorin guy as weird as your brother?” Bilbo quietly asked as Balin came back, setting everything on the small table before sitting down next to him. Balin let out a brief chuckle, then shook his head with a sigh.

“They may seem weird to you but they’re good lads, you only have to take the time to get to know them. Thorin has had a tough life, the poor lad went through many tragedies, which is why he may appear as a grim, embittered and introverted man, but he can be quite a joyful companion when he is in the right mood.”

Bilbo nodded silently, wondering if these moments happened as often as Dwalin smiled. The sudden sound of a door slamming shut upstairs caused him to jump in surprise. There were sounds of heavy footsteps and muffled voices to be heard, but no one seemed to be coming down the stairs yet.

“So your brother is a truck driver, right?” Bilbo asked as much to distract himself from his ever growing anxiousness as to make sure for the tenth time that day that he remembered right. It really wouldn’t do to accidentally upset Balin’s frightening brother by getting the information Balin gave him wrong.

“He is” the older man replied quietly. “He was in the navy before, a real tough headed soldier” he said with a short chuckle. “But he finally quit when he and Thorin got together. Now he is driving trucks all over the country and quite happy with his life as far as I can tell.”

“And his… friend, what does he do for a living?” Bilbo politely asked. He didn’t really care, but Dwalin’s words about that man playing the harp had picked his curiosity. Someone who played such a beautiful instrument surely had to be a decent person, right?

“He is a tattoo artist” Balin answered as he proceeded to fill four glasses of red wine.

“Oh” Bilbo managed to say, hoping he didn’t sound too disappointed, his hopes instantly vanishing into thin air. Nope, definitely no decent folk.

Soon the distinct sound of footsteps was to be heard again and finally Dwalin joined them in the living room, muttering an apology about having kept them waiting. The man following him immediately caught Bilbo’s attention, and he caught himself staring at the tall, slender figure for much longer than necessary.

The newcomer had a long, somewhat tousled black mane, piercing blue eyes, and wore torn jeans and an old deep blue t-shirt which left his muscular tattooed arm visible. Everything from his heavily booted feet to the round, big, shiny white gem hanging on a chain around his neck made Thorin Oakenshield a noticeable person. Especially if said person was attentively scrutinizing you, his head slightly tiled to the side, his piercing gaze searching the depths of your soul for the smallest hidden thought. 

Bilbo certainly hoped that he had found nothing of the sort and that his face didn’t betray the strange impression the sight of that man was suddenly giving him. As an attempt to break that awkward moment he stood up and politely introduced himself, watching as a smirk appeared on Thorin’s face.

“So this is the famous Professor Baggins Balin told us so much about” he said in a deep voice, his smirk widening. Bilbo nodded weakly, unsure about whether he was supposed to reach out for a handshake, say something, or simply wish for the floor to open up under him and swallow him whole.

“He looks more like a grocer than a literature teacher” Thorin said to Dwalin, but loud enough for Bilbo to hear too. With one more playful smirk the dark haired man gracefully sat down next to Dwalin, accepting the glass Balin was handing him with a smile and a nod.

“Don’t mind him, he is not himself when he hasn’t slept properly” Balin whispered to Bilbo, giving his hand a gentle, comforting squeeze.

“So you are the one with whom Balin spends so much time in the library” Thorin said with what was surely supposed to be a friendly smile but seemed more like a predatory smile to Bilbo. The dark haired man had a way of observing him which made him uncomfortable, almost like a cat watching a possible prey, ready to bounce on it at the first false move. Bilbo pinched his own forearm in an attempt to pull himself together; he had to say something, anything, but no matter how many times he cleared his throat the words wouldn’t come out.

“Aye, the library is where we met, and where we got to know each other” Balin answered, and Bilbo let out the breath he had been holding. Never before had he been so grateful to have Balin by his side, always there to support him and keep him from making a fool out of himself. He felt foolish and stupid, sitting there his face as red as a tomato, unable to utter a single word. This wasn’t his trial, he was simply meeting Balin’s family, and so far he was making a poor first impression. Yet he felt bad about disappointing Balin. He had to pull himself together, and fast.

“Indeed, it is” Bilbo said, finally remembering how to speak. “How about you two, where did you meet?” he boldly asked, suddenly desperate to appear friendly.

“At the tattoo parlor” Thorin replied, turning to look at Dwalin with a fond smile. Dwalin stared at him with his eyebrows raised questioningly.

“Really?” he said, sounding surprised. “Was that our first meeting?”

“No, of course not” Thorin replied with a shake of his head as if he suddenly remembered. “In fact we have known each other since childhood, and we have been friends for many years. But when we first…” he trailed off mid-sentence, blushing lightly, “became more than friends, well that happened at the tattoo parlor, right Dwalin?” He said offering the other man a big smile. Dwalin smiled back, his hand finding Thorin’s and entwining their fingers.

“Aye, this is how it happened. We confessed our feelings for each other in the middle of this” he said proudly showing off the runes inked on his fingers and the intricate lines on his wrists. “This is Thorin’s work” he said quietly.

“Not only this one, the ones on his head are mine too” Thorin added before gracefully lifting his glass to his lips to take a sip. His gaze met Dwalin’s and twinkled as if he had just read the other’s mind.  
“In fact he has quite a few others, but he won’t show you these” Thorin said giving Dwalin a knowing look. Bilbo had just taken a sip of his own wine and had to put an immense effort not to choke on the liquid at that comment. In the end he ended up only making a small weird sound through his nose. He managed to make eye contact with Balin and sent him a silent plea, too which Balin replied with an almost imperceptible nod and a smile.

“I think we should be leaving soon” Balin said finally, to Bilbo’s relief. “I suppose you are departing early tomorrow?”

“Aye, I’m leaving in the middle of the night” Dwalin said with a sigh. Thorin said nothing but the look of sadness on his face spoke volumes. He let go of Dwalin’s hand and silently stood up, disappearing into the kitchen without a word.

Balin noticed the obvious tension between the pair but decided not to interfere; for now it was better to leave them to deal with it themselves.

“We will let you get some rest then” he said slowly standing up, Bilbo following suit. “Either that, or whatever plans you have for the day” Balin added with a knowing look towards his brother. “It is after all Valentine’s day.”

“What of it?” Dwalin replied with a shrug. “We never celebrate that anyway, I’d rather leave that cheesy romantic nonsense to others.”

“Gloin did propose to his wife on Valentine’s day, did you know that?” Balin said, sending him a reproachful gaze. Dwalin snorted at that.

“That doesn’t surprise me, the old sod is impossibly sappy when it comes to those things. But Thorin and me, it’s different. We don’t need that crap to remind each other of our feelings.”

“Of course” Balin said with a smirk, but it was obvious that he wanted to say something else, however he choose to remain silent. “We will be on our way then. Don’t forget to call at least once, it won’t hurt you to take a few minutes to talk to your older brother. And take care of yourself” he added with an affectionate pat to Dwalin’s shoulder which the latter brushed away with a roll of his eyes, obviously annoyed by his brother’s antics.

“Just go” he mumbled. Not that he minded, he knew that Balin cared about him, but his bossy, big brother attitude was something he had never gotten used to, and probably never would.

“Your brother is a little bit scary” Bilbo admitted once they were back in his car ready to drive off.

“He is only scary to strangers, Bilbo” Balin said with a hearty laugh. “He is a big romantic at heart, believe me.”  
Bilbo raised his eyebrows at that statement, but said nothing.

***  
“You are picking up your old habits again” Dwalin said as he joined Thorin in the kitchen, catching him right in the middle of emptying a cookie jar. The taller man gently took it away and placed it back on a shelf, but not before stuffing one cookie into his mouth.

“I am not” Thorin said, crossing his arms across his chest, obviously upset about Dwalin’s interruption.

“You are. You have barely eaten anything at all in the last few days and now you are stuffing yourself with whatever eatable thing you can find. This is unhealthy. I will cook you a real meal. You should simply ask when you are hungry, you know” the truck driver said, already rummaging through the fridge in search of something he could use to cook a warm meal for them both.  
Thorin shrugged and looked away. This was a lost cause and he knew it. 

“Tomorrow you will be gone again” he said suddenly, startling Dwalin. “You will be away for weeks.” There was no sadness in his voice, no plea to stay, only resignation. 

“That’s my job, nothing to be done about it” Dwalin said simply. They had gone through the same arguments for years now, and even though Dwalin knew that Thorin would be fine by himself the separation was always a bit hard on them both. Neither of them had ever voiced it, they were too old and too manly for this, but that didn’t mean that spending weeks away from each other couldn’t be tough sometimes.

“We have today to enjoy all for ourselves” Dwalin reminded him somewhat gruffly. “You will be more than glad to have me off your back for a while after today.”

“Do you have any plans for today then?” Thorin asked, doing his best to sound totally disinterested but the twinkling in his gaze told another story.

“Maybe we should go out” Dwalin said finally settling on steaks and a salad. It wasn’t exactly the healthy meal he had had in mind but at least it would be done quickly and it would enable them to spend more time together; there would always be other occasions for him to cook fancy meals. “Today is a special day, did you even remember that?”

“Of course” Thorin said with a fond smile. “It has been seven years and a half today, there is no way I could forget that.”  
Dwalin turned to look at him, completely taken aback. Thorin noticed his surprised look and raised his eyebrows, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“Don’t tell me you forgot” he said his smile widening.

“Of course not” Dwalin replied immediately. “I thought we didn’t celebrate halves?”

“We don’t” Thorin said with a shrug. “Which is why I was surprised that you mentioned that at all.”

“I was talking about Valentine’s day” Dwalin clarified. “It is today too”.

“We usually don’t celebrate that either” Thorin pointed out, looking totally unimpressed.

“We should celebrate both this year, maybe go out to watch a movie or something. There’s a reduced tariff for couples today at Rivendell’s movies.”  
Thorin’s eyes instantly narrowed at the mention of that name.

“You know how much I loathe that place” he said accusingly.

“I don’t like that Elrond guy much either, but who cares as long as it’s cheap” Dwalin said with a shrug. “He’s only the manager of that place, it’s not like you will have to sit next to him or something.”

In the end they both agreed that spending the afternoon together with a nice movie to watch wasn’t half bad; neither of them were the kind of person to like sophisticated dates and expensive restaurants, as long as they were together pretty much anything would do.

Lunch was quickly ready and eaten, both men suddenly actually looking forward to putting their plans into action. Despite Dwalin’s protests that they were just in for a casual afternoon together Thorin insisted that he wanted to dress up and Dwalin certainly didn’t complain much once Thorin emerged from their shared bedroom wearing his usual leather jacket and knee high leather boots, his long black locks now untangled and cascading nicely down his back.

“Yer pretty dressed up like that” Dwalin said with a long appreciative gaze at his boyfriend’s elegant figure. “I think this deserves a ride on my old Harley.”  
Thorin’s face split into a beaming smile.

“I was just about to suggest that” he said with an appreciative nod. “I will drive today.”

“No you will not” Dwalin replied with a snort. “Last time you drove we ended up lost on some muddy path in the middle of nowhere, so I will drive.”

***

“Dwalin, hurry up” Thorin called again with an exasperated sigh.

“Give me a minute” Dwalin grumbled, having a hard time trying to balance the many bags of sweets and popcorn he had bought in addition to some drinks.

“Here we are” Thorin said once Dwalin finally joined him at the till where he had been waiting for several minutes. “I think there is a reduced tariff for couples today” he added raising his eyebrows at the young man who was sitting at the till. He seemed to be new there, and looked panicked and upset at the sight of these two long haired, tattooed, leather clad bikers.

“I believe there is a misunderstanding, gentlemen” he said with a puzzled look on his face. “The reduced tariff is for couples” he repeated, emphasizing the last word as if to prove his point. 

“We are a couple” Dwalin said with a frown, protectively wrapping an arm around Thorin’s shoulders. “Is there a problem with that?” he added with his best menacing glare, almost managing to beat Thorin’s own infamous glare.

“No, of course not, here” the younger man said quickly handing them the tickets. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to be rid of the atypical couple. Dwalin huffed and grabbed the tickets, leading Thorin away with a satisfied expression.

“Stupid arrogant jerk” Thorin muttered under his breath.

“Leave it be; he’s not worth getting worked up about. What movie did you choose anyway?”

“It is called love at first sight. Don’t blame me for the sappy title.”  
Dwalin stopped dead in his tracks, looking horrified.

“Don’t tell me you choose a romantic movie?” he exclaimed in disbelief.

“Dwalin, it is Valentine’s day, there are only romantic movies” Thorin replied rolling his eyes. “It doesn’t matter which movie we choose anyway, the point is to spend time together.”

“Then why go to the movies at all? That’s pointless” Dwalin said with a deep annoyed sigh.

“May I remind you that it was your idea to begin with” Thorin hissed, beginning to lose his patience. “It’s not my fault that it had to be on that stupid day! Besides” he added with a playful smirk, “we usually don’t pay that much attention to the movie, so why do we care anyway” he concluded with a knowing look, the tip of his tongue briefly appearing to lick his own lower lip, immediately crawling back to its hiding place. Dwalin watched him with sudden interest.

“If that is your plan, then go ahead” he said with a matching smile, motioning for the younger man to lead the way.

They choose to sit at the back of the cinema, conveniently hidden from other people’s view. There weren’t many people anyway, and there was plenty of space for Dwalin to display his impressive collection of sweets. 

The moment the movie began Dwalin’s brow furrowed and he let out an exasperated sigh, wondering what he was doing here at all.

“Stop sulking” Thorin whispered, elbowing him sharply in the ribs, to which Dwalin only rolled his eyes.

“Look at that guy’s impressive acting skills” Dwalin said chuckling. “Even I could do better than that. And a couple falling in love on a beach at sunset, really? Could they come up with anything even more cheesy than that?”

“Keep it down” Thorin whispered, elbowing him again. “People are sending us looks.”

“So what? I can look too” Dwalin replied with a snort and proceeded to return every single glare that was directed at him. Thorin shrugged at his attitude and made himself comfortable, grabbing a pack of popcorn and a can of beer.

After some time chewing down some popcorn Thorin soon found himself bored and decided that it was time to let the fun begin. Dwalin had fallen strangely silent beside him. The truck driver jumped in surprise when Thorin’s fingers brushed against his neck, blinking a few times before sending Thorin a short smile as if he suddenly remembered his presence. 

“Give me something to munch on” Dwalin whispered before gluing his gaze back to the screen. He grabbed the pack of sweets Thorin handed him and immediately shoved a handful into his mouth.

“Thank you, kitten. Come here” he said extending his arm. Thorin gladly accepted the invitation and nestled his head in the crook of Dwalin’s neck, welcoming with a low groan of satisfaction the light kiss that was placed on his forehead. Thorin breathed in the scent of his lover, sighing contentedly. Oh how he was going to miss him during those two weeks, he thought as a sharp pang of melancholy hit him right in the chest. But he would have time to miss him later, he thought as he began to brush his lips against Dwalin’s neck, first lightly, then pressing more heated kisses to his skin. Dwalin let out a small surprised sound at the sudden tickle of Thorin’s beard against his neck.

“Is there something left to drink?” he said softly. Thorin sighed but handed him the requested drink before promptly going back to his previous position, licking and sucking at the soft flesh on Dwalin’s neck.

“What do you mean you are leaving her? How can you do this to her you bastard!” Dwalin suddenly hollered, causing Thorin to jump, startled. Dwalin’s eyes were glued to the screen and it seemed like the movie had suddenly started to become quite interesting. Thorin disentangled himself from Dwalin’s arms, going back to his previous sitting position in his seat, gazing at the screen, intrigued by what could have suddenly gained his boyfriend’s attention. Surely that movie couldn’t be that bad then, he thought taking another sip of his beer.

A blonde woman wearing too much makeup was standing shock stilled, her eyes teary. She was shaking her head in utter silence, then let out a loud sob.

“Kevin you can’t do this to me! I love you”  
Thorin resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Come on Kevin, you can’t do this to her!” Dwalin exclaimed, his fist raised as if he was planning to punch the actor through the screen. Thorin sighed and laid a gentle but firm hand on his arm, silently reminding him that he was being too loud again.

“Is it because of Brenda? Oh I knew it! Of course it is her again!” the woman said with a gigantic sob. This time Thorin did roll his eyes.

“Of course it is, about time you stop being so blind, you sappy cow” Dwalin grumbled under his breath.  
Thorin resisted the urge to slap his own forehead. It would have been almost comical to him, if it had been anyone else in his place. Except it wasn’t, and he was the one who had to suffer both the stupid movie and his suddenly overly enthusiastic lover. If only he could be so enthusiastic for other things, Thorin thought, a grin slowly spreading over his face as a plan formed into his mind. He wasn’t one to give up so easily, and he would make sure to get whet he wanted, one way or another.

He slowly bent towards Dwalin as if to kiss him, only he placed a quick kiss to his cheek instead of his lips, then progressively moved to Dwalin’s ear, giving it a gentle lick all the way up, then a kiss, before starting to nibble on it. His grin only widened as he heard Dwalin’s sharp intake of breath. His hand sneaked down to his lover’s upper thigh, massaging it only inches away from his crotch.

Dwalin’s big hand fisted into Thorin’s long hair, gently but firmly pulling him away from his ear.

“Kevin is about to discover that Jessica is having an affair with Brian” Dwalin said in a rough whisper, to which Thorin rolled his eyes.

“Do you really think I care?” he said with a glare.

“Judging from your passionate attempts at distracting me, I’d say you don’t” Dwalin replied with a smirk.

“Right” Thorin said with a relieved sigh. At least Dwalin got his priorities right. “Then stop being so engrossed in other people’s love affairs and pay more attention to yours” he said with a squeeze of Dwalin’s thigh.

“Tease” Dwalin growled before pulling Thorin in for a long, passionate kiss leaving them both panting for air, eyes shining with need. Thorin leaned in to lick Dwalin’s ear again, biting it softly, relishing in the little moan that escaped his lover’s lips.

“I think there’s something in there for me, maybe I should go have a look at it” he whispered seductively in his ear, giving Dwalin’s crotch a squeeze.

In one swift motion he positioned himself over his lover’s lap, grinning at the bulge in Dwalin’s pants right before his eyes. Instead of releasing it he began to kiss it through the cloth, grinning to himself as his lover squirmed in his seat, one hand going to Thorin’s hair again, the other reaching for the zipper of his pants. He pulled it down roughly, startled as he heard a loud squeal from his lover.

“You caught my hair in that, you idiot!” Thorin hissed, trying to wriggle around so that he could pull himself free but it was useless, his hair was effectively stuck in Dwalin’s zipper, trapping him in an uncomfortable position where he could barely move his head without causing himself more pain.

“I’m so sorry, kitten” Dwalin said gently stroking Thorin’s head in what he hoped to be a soothing move. “Stay still, I’ll get it” he said, reaching down to the mess of black hair. He tried to wriggle his his around so that he could get a better view of where exactly Thorin was stuck, but it was useless in the darkness of the cinema. He fisted a strand of hair and pulled, earning a sharp cry of pain and an elbow right in his groin.

“Not like this!” Thorin hissed, and even though Dwalin couldn’t see his face he could perfectly picture Thorin’s deadly glare in his mind.

“Stop being such a baby” the truck driver growled, grabbing Thorin’s hands to prevent any other attempt at hurting his manliness. “I can’t see anything, I think it would be better to wait until the lights are back on.”  
Thorin snorted at these words.

“I am most certainly not staying like this for another hour!” Thorin growled, pulling one of his hands free from Dwalin’s grasp, reaching for his lover’s pocket, swiftly pulling his knife out. Dwalin watched him with raised eyebrows, wondering what his boyfriend had in mind.

“What do you want to do with that?” he asked nervously, hoping that Thorin wouldn’t suddenly decide that castrating him would be a suitable punishment for catching his hair in his zipper. Not that Thorin was much of a violent person, least of all with Dwalin, but one could never careful enough when he was really upset.

“There’s only one way to sort out this mess” Thorin said with a sigh, opening the blade before putting it to his hair. Dwalin immediately caught his wrist, alarmed.

“Don’t” he said warningly.

“It’s just a strand of hair, Dwalin” Thorin said with a roll of his eyes. “It will not even be visible.”  
Dwalin considered his words for a short moment, but it seemed like there wasn’t any other option. He slowly nodded, even though Thorin couldn’t see it, reluctantly letting go of Thorin’s wrist. He was very much in love with his boyfriend’s long silky hair, and hated the thought of even one single hair having to be cut. It wasn’t something he easily talked about, but he might have a slight obsession with Thorin’s hair, and very certainly a fetish with it. Not that he would ever admit it but yes, he was so madly in love with that ill-tempered, stubborn, amazing tattoo artist that he loved every bit of him, and every single hair on his head. Not that he minded the rest of Thorin’s body hair either, but that something else entirely, something he didn’t dare think too much about when every single movement in his crotch could cause Thorin pain.

The black haired man pulled most of his hair out of the way until he had a clearer view of the problem. It was only one strand, but it was helplessly caught in the zipper. In one quick motion he cut it free, sighing in relief as he was finally able to move freely.

“See, there’s no difference” Thorin said posing for Dwalin to admire his hair. The truck driver was thrilled to notice that there was indeed no trace of the treatment Thorin’s beloved mane had received.

“Will you continue what you were about to start then?” Dwalin asked hopefully.

“After what just happened? I think not” Thorin said with a snort. “You will have to wait, it will serve you right for being so impatient.”

“Such a shame” Dwalin said with a sigh. “I guess we will have to go back to watching the movie then, even though we missed quite a bit of it.”

“That is out of the question too, we are leaving right this instant” Thorin declared, standing up stiffly. Dwalin sighed but followed suit, it wasn’t as if he could ever get engrossed in such a stupid romantic movie anyway.

They were passing the first rows when Dwalin suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, then turned around, grabbing Thorin’s hand to pull him with him.

“We are leaving by the other door on the back” he whispered, tugging on Thorin’s hand.

“Why? What is that supposed to mean?” Thorin whispered back, upset by his boyfriend’s sudden change of mind.

“Balin is there, with Bibo” Dwalin explained once they were safely out of the cinema.

“What? Are you sure?” Thorin asked, sounding both surprised and amused.

“Yes, right in the front row” Dwalin said shaking his head. “So much for spending hours talking about literature.”

“And I thought he was too old for all that romantic bullshit” Thorin said chuckling.

“Sappy old sod” Dwalin said laughing heartily. “Come, let’s drive back home, I have to pack for tomorrow.”

The ride home was surprisingly quiet, both men seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Thorin’s good mood seemed to have vanished again at the mention of Dwalin’s imminent departure, and he flopped down on the couch the moment they set foot inside the house. He was half sitting, half laying there staring into empty space when a travel bag suddenly hit him in the chest. He looked up to see Dwalin staring intently at him, his own bag in hand.

“Go pack your stuff, you are coming with me” he said simply, waiting for the other man to move. Thorin stared at him, startled, blinking a few times as if to make sure that he wasn’t dreaming.

“Why? I haven’t accompanied you for years” he said sounding sincerely astonished.

“I know” Dwalin said softly, walking a few steps closer to his lover. “You know how my life is on the road, eating junk food, sleeping in my truck most of the time, in a cheap motel when I’m lucky. This is far from an idea life, and even though I don’t really mind that I know that you are used to a comfortable life in a big house, and I wouldn’t want you to have to share this life of mine, because you deserve so much better. But this time is different, Thorin. We have been living together for almost eight years” he said pausing to smile tenderly at his lover, watching as Thorin smiled back, nodding slowly.

“I am driving to the west coast, and I thought that the warm Californian summer would do you some good. Besides” he added quickly before Thorin had a chance to speak, “I was thinking that maybe we could make a stop in Las Vegas, have some fun in the casinos, watch some shows there, and maybe even get married, who knows” he said with a shrug as if this was no big deal, but the sudden blush on his face told another story.

“If you would have an old truck driver as your husband” he mumbled, his cheeks now as red as a tomato. Thorin chuckled and reached out for him. Dwalin gratefully took the offered hand and let Thorin pull him on the couch with him.

“I would have no other” Thorin said quietly, voice thick with emotion. “And this had to happen on Valentine’s day of all days” he said with another chuckle. “And you called Balin a romantic old sod” he playfully reminded him.

“Maybe it runs in the family then” Dwalin grumbled, looking slightly insulted to be compared to his brother of all people, especially when it came to these things. “So it is a yes then?” he asked tentatively. Thorin had to hold himself back not to laugh at the obvious insecurity in his lover’s voice.

“Of course it is, silly” he said planting a quick kiss at the tip of Dwalin’s nose.

“Good” the truck driver said with a beaming smile, reaching into his pocket to extract his key ring on which dangled his truck keys. He gently took Thorin’s hand into his own and ceremoniously put the key ring on the black haired man’s finger.

“I didn’t really plan this, so I’m afraid you will have to do with this as an engagement ring for now” he said with another shrug. Thorin watched him silently for a minute, a big smile on his face, then shook his head.

“You overly romantic old sod” he said teasingly.

“This is the second time you are calling me that” Dwalin said narrowing his eyes in a menacing glare. “Say it once more, you will regret it.”

“I sure hope I will” Thorin said chuckling, grabbing Dwalin’s shirt to move them both in a laying position on the couch with a sulking Dwalin half on top of him.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if there were any typos!   
> The cashier in the cinema was supposed to be Lindir, so bonus points to those who recognized him!  
> Thorin and Dwalin's looks were inspired by Ladynorthstar's lovely art, so credit goes to her for the inspiration!  
> Reviews are of course optional but if you would be so kind as to leave one it would make me a happy woman!


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